


Coffees and Opera Singers

by sincerelyhyerim (yourstrulyhjt)



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Complete, F/F, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Love, One Shot, Rich girl Haseul, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Vivi as a music blogger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:09:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28816131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourstrulyhjt/pseuds/sincerelyhyerim
Summary: Jo Haseul is a part-time coffee barista and part-time opera singer. Vivi's a music blogger, who just wants a good coffee, and if she's lucky, to discover a new music show to write about. She happens to find everything in one barista.
Relationships: Jo Haseul/Viian Wong | ViVi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	Coffees and Opera Singers

It’s just another early morning shift at Roasts & Toasts, the coffee shop that Jo Haseul works at. As the only daughter of one of the most popular surgeons in the city, Haseul could have gone through her entire life without lifting a finger, but that is not who Jo Haseul is. In the early mornings, she’s a coffee barista. During the day, she’s a law student. But in the evening, she is a performer, her smooth vibrato putting her audience into a new universe. 

Haseul ties an apron around her waist and sweeps her hair into a ponytail, preparation for the busy rush of coffee dependent people. Only one other person is working with her this shift, who had not spared her a glance in the last 30 minutes since he had trudged in. As soon as the clock hits 5:00, Haseul flips the door sign to read “OPEN”, and heads back to behind the counter. Sure enough, a steady stream of people flow in and bustle out to their workplace. Haseul loses herself in the repetition of taking orders, preparing coffees, and serving customers with a gentle smile.

By 10 A.M, the number of frenzied customers had dwindled down, with only a few college students lounging around in the seating area. Haseul scans the floor, readying herself to go out and inquire if each customer needs anything but she stops suddenly. 

A girl with beautiful light pink hair had walked up to order, a backpack slung over her shoulder, and a blinding smile directed right at Haseul. If this wasn’t the definition of love at first sight, Haseul mused to herself and stepped back behind the counter.

“Good morning love, can I take your order?” Haseul says, summoning her most charming smile onto her face. To her disappointment, the girl was not looking at her, but instead was perusing the menu _ above _ Haseul’s head. 

“I’ll take a Cortado for here,” the girl replies, smiling breezily at Haseul. Haseul is barely able to conceal her sharp intake of breath at seeing this girl’s perfect smile for a second time today, but she forces herself to nod and scribbles down the customer’s order. 

“Could I get a name?” Haseul asks, her fingers struggling to not fidget with sheer nervousness. The girl quirks her eyebrows curiously. 

“I thought only Starbucks asked for names,” she says. Haseul’s face begins to flush slightly, as she flounders for a brief moment before coming up with a reasonable response. 

“I am one of the only baristas here that ask. I... think it adds a personal touch,” Haseul answers, exhaling a little as the girl begins to nod understandingly. 

“That’s cute! And my name is Vivi,” Vivi says, giving Haseul a small wave before heading to a table at the corner of the story. Haseul turned around and took a few deep breaths before setting about preparing this coffee. And a Cortado at that! The coffee-loving, barista side of Haseul rarely came out, but after almost two years of preparing boring coffees for working adults and extra sweetened iced coffees for teenagers, she always has an appreciation for  **_(pink-haired girls with beautiful smiles)_ ** people with a taste for good coffee. Balancing the flavor is one thing, but pouring art into a Cortado would be one of her most difficult tasks in a while, but Haseul had always welcomed a challenge.

If only Jungeun was working today too, so she would smack some sense into Haseul’s crush-addled mind and get me to focus properly… Haseul sighed and busied herself with steaming the milk. While coffee creation took more of a backseat to Haseul’s other passions, she was a competent brewer and especially gifted with latte art. She carefully sets the glass onto a saucer and begins to create a tulip heart with the milk foam. To her surprise and secret pleasure, Haseul catches Vivi watching her as she absentmindedly adjusts her laptop. She cocks a grin at Vivi, one that hopefully comes across as confident or sexy, but the effect is almost entirely ruined when her co-worker drops a pile of coffee orders next to her. Haseul groans and quickly walks over to Vivi, setting the Cortado down next to the girl carefully.

“I wish I could take some time to ask for your feedback but I have so many orders to get to,” Haseul says, disappointment coloring her voice. 

Vivi offers a sympathetic smile to Haseul, “ I have to write up a few things, so once you’re done, I’ll still be here,” she promises, taking her phone out to snap a quick photo of the Cortado that Haseul had just created for her. “By the way, this is the most beautiful drink I’ve ever seen. I’m almost scared to drink it,” Vivi adds, looking up at Haseul’s shy smile. Before Haseul can reply, an irritated voice comes from behind the counter, and Haseul rolls her eyes in annoyance. 

“That’s my call to get back to boring coffee creations. I had fun with you!” Haseul calls out, making her way back to the counter. With Haseul’s back turned, she doesn’t see how Vivi’s eyes follow her path gently. Haseul gives herself a quick pat on the back for having had a normal conversation with Vivi and sets about completing these orders as quickly as possible. 

“So, what was that about?” a voice drawls from behind her. Haseul whips around and rushes towards the girl standing in the stockroom’s doorway. 

“Jungeun! What are you doing here?” Haseul squealed, sounding totally unlike herself. “Nevermind, but seriously do you see how pretty that girl is!” Haseul says, releasing Jungeun from her hug. 

“I just dropped by to get my jacket I left from my shift last night and boom! I walked in to see you almost sitting in that girl’s lap!” Jungeun ends on a whispered shout, as a group of customers entering the store send them curious looks. 

“That did not happen!” Haseul exclaimed, turning back to the counter and starting on the twelve mobile orders that had accumulated on the counter. “Wait, while you’re here, can you help me out with a few of these orders.” 

Jungeun sighs and nods, “yes I can, but only because I know that you’re rushing to get back to her.” Haseul rolls her eyes, but the two work quickly, and the twelve completed drinks are left sitting on the counter waiting for pickup. “She’s looked up here at least five times and it’s been what? I’ll be generous and say it’s been maybe five minutes since you left her side. Why don’t you go back over there, I can cover you upfront,” Jungeun murmurs, attempting to poke Haseul inconspicuously. Haseul hesitates but eventually shoots Jungeun a grateful look before walking back towards Vivi. 

Vivi hurriedly saves her writing and looks back up with a grin in time at Haseul’s approaching figure. “Get a lot done in the last five minutes I was gone?” Haseul asks, gesturing at Vivi’s open laptop. 

“Oh, maybe three sentences. I was mostly watching you,” Vivi admits shyly. To Vivi’s dismay, Haseul misses her attempts at flirtation. 

“What do you write? If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to! Especially because I’m just a barista you just met,” Haseul says, obliviously sinking down into the chair opposite of the pink-haired girl. 

“I run a blog rating music performances around the city!” Vivi says, before racking her brain for questions she could ask to get to know her beautiful barista better. To Vivi’s surprise, Haseul’s jaw drops. 

“There’s a music show here later this afternoon!” the barista says excitedly, pointing at a poster taped to the wall. Vivi quickly examines the flyer and nods her head slowly.

“You guys are having an opera performance too? That is really awesome,” Vivi says appreciatively, making sure to note the opening time. As she adds an alarm into her phone, she misses Haseul’s apprehensive and panicked look. 

“I’ll be seeing you later then!” Haseul says, motioning to get up, but Vivi takes her wrist gently. 

“Maybe I could get your number so that we could sit with each other?” Vivi suggests, praying that Haseul caught this not-so-subtle hint. As she busies herself with pretending to retrieve and unlock her phone, again Vivi does not see Haseul turn around to look at her blonde haired co-worker in distress. 

“I might be at the counter all night, but I’ll do my best to catch up with you,” Haseul offers, taking Vivi’s phone and putting in her contact information. She grasps Vivi’s hands lightly and smiles in farewell before disappearing behind the wall. 

Vivi could hardly believe her luck this morning. She managed to score the barista’s number, would be seeing her later that evening, and had a new venue to write about for this week’s music show review!  _ Wait. She still didn’t know the barista’s name _ . Vivi scrambles to unlock her phone and check her contacts, where she sees the new addition was left on the screen. 

**Cutest Barista**

Notes: (Jo Haseul) 

Jo Haseul… For some reason, that name sounded familiar, but Vivi could not quite put her thumb on where she recognized it from. She shrugged it off and set about getting ready to head to her only class for the day. Vivi would be back to see this Jo Haseul in less than six hours. 

Meanwhile, Haseul had burst into the back storeroom and was currently pacing around while waiting for Jungeun to join her. As soon as she catches a glimpse of Jungeun’s blonde hair, she begins her worried tirade. “Jungeun, I messed up. I accidentally invited her to the show here tonight that I am literally opening for!” Jungeun’s mouth hangs wide open in her astonishment, but then she starts to laugh.

“Haseul! What are you worried about? You love singing, and you love your own voice even more. Maybe you can use this night as an opportunity to let her get to know the real you,” Jungeun suggests, winking coyly at Haseul’s distraught face.

“Wait, you’re right. Maybe I’ll impress her,” Haseul says thoughtfully. 

“Maybe? Of course, you’ll impress her,” Jungeun confidently pushes Haseul into an upright position and checks her watch. “Your shift just ended, do you want to study together before you have to get ready?” Jungeun adds. 

“We can grab some lunch and study for a bit. Being around you will probably get rid of any worries I have,” Haseul says decisively, as she clocks out. 

The next few hours pass too quickly for Haseul’s liking, but it’s an enjoyable time as always with her goofy best friend. The pair discover a new sandwich shop, and then spend the rest of the time quizzing each other on various court cases, before stopping off by Haseul’s home for a change of clothes. On their walk back to the coffee shop, Haseul noticeably begins to zone out, much to Jungeun’s amusement. 

“Haseul,” Jungeun calls out, waving her hands in front of Haseul’s dazed face. 

“Should I have told her that I’m performing tonight?” Haseul asks, worriedly biting her lip. 

“No honestly, the only thing you should be worried about is your singing. But, you never even worry about that anyway!” Jungeun reassures her before adding, “I actually have a plan.” 

“Jungeun! Don’t interfere badly or else I will never take you out for a meal ever again,” Haseul threatens lightly. Her best friend pouts down at her and crosses her arms petulantly. 

“I’ll interfere well then!” Jungeun declares. 

Haseul rolls her eyes and continues talking, “Anyways, are you planning on performing with your younger sister and your lover tonight?” 

“Nope! Yerim has school tomorrow morning and Jinsoul is working late tonight. So it’ll just be me in the crowd supporting you in multiple ways, as I always do!” Jungeun says cheerily, pushing Haseul back through the door of Roasts & Toasts. Haseul turns around briefly to narrow her eyes at her suspiciously innocent-looking best friend, before walking off to get changed into her standard performance clothes: a loose white collared shirt and pair of black jeans. As she steps out, Jungeun whistles appreciatively, “Looking good!” she says, nodding in approval. 

“I wear something like this almost every time that I perform,” Haseul deadpans, putting on light makeup and running her hand through her hair.

“Well, maybe it’s your detectable nervousness that is giving me a different vibe,” Jungeun shoots back triumphantly. The two friends banter more before settling in comfortable silence, and before they realize it, the lights are dimmed, and the coffee shop is relatively packed. “Well, that’s my cue. Good luck, lover girl,” Jungeun calls out, slipping into the crowd easily. 

Sooyoung, the owner of the coffee shop, had already begun welcoming guests with a brief speech. “Good evening everyone! We’ll be starting shortly with a special opera performance! We hope you enjoy tonight’s show and some good coffee.” 

Vivi had arrived in time to hear this announcement and was attempting to move closer, but the crowd was practically unbudging. She sighs in resignation and settles down into the nearest vacant seat that Haseul’s blonde coworker had just made available. Vivi makes sure to quickly smile at the blonde woman before the announcements start. “Here is our first performer. She’ll be performing Lascia ch’io pianga.” 

Even though the lights are dim, and Vivi is not the closest to the front, she  _ knows right away.  _ That angelic voice undeniably belongs to her barista from earlier this morning. As Haseul’s melodic voice flows throughout the small coffee shop, Vivi is entirely wrapped up in her enchanting and alluring tone. 

_ ‘She definitely doesn’t do anything without ensuring absolute perfection,’ _ Vivi thinks absentmindedly, straining her eyes to get a glimpse at Haseul’s outline in the dim light. The crowd is silent, consisting of people staring up at Haseul in admiration or people closing their eyes to savor the emotions washing over them in waves. Vivi was inclined to do both. Haseul’s voice made her _ feel.  _

At the conclusion of Haseul’s performance, Vivi hardly registered the fact that she had not typed a single word about the performance. Only when she realizes that the crowd is unconsciously parting to let Haseul through, Vivi kicks into gear and stands up to meet Haseul. The pair embrace and Jungeun could be found smirking victoriously off to the side at her genius maneuvering. 

“You were amazing! But, uh, what happened to working the counter all night?” Vivi asks, smiling crookedly at Haseul’s flushed face. 

“Well, my side hustle came calling, so here I am,” Haseul replies, goofily striking a pose. Vivi stifles a laugh and invites her to sit back down at the suddenly vacant table.  _ ‘Undoubtedly Jungeun’s doing, who is standing off to the side watching, of course,’ _ Haseul notes, before taking the offered seat.

“Do you have any other random side hustles?” Vivi asks her curiously. While a relatively innocent question, Haseul could not help but hesitate with her response.

Jungeun’s words from earlier that afternoon ring in Haseul’s mind. The idea of being honest and letting people know the real her was daunting. But, Vivi had seen her as a coffee barista first, opera singer second, so there was a chance that she’d be different. Different from all the previous people who had only seen her as the daughter of a wealthy family and taken advantage of her kindness. Looking at Vivi’s open and excited face, Haseul could not deny her from anything less than the truth. 

“Well, it’s a somewhat long story,” Haseul hesitates and only continues when she receives a reassuring smile from Vivi. “I am actually the daughter of Dr. Jo, the head surgeon in the city. But, I’m just a law student who works at a coffee shop in the morning and loves singing opera during the evenings,” Haseul says simply, looking at Vivi’s expression to gauge her reaction. Haseul had seen all sorts of reactions, ranging from dates demanding she gets them internships with her father or even dates who brought marriage contracts to her family home. None of those people wanted to know who she really was and she was praying that Vivi would be unlike them. 

“That’s super cool, I’m actually a vet student right now. My only side thing is this music show blog,” Vivi replies, pointing vaguely at her open laptop. Haseul exhales quietly in relief. Vivi did not let her down. As the next two hours pass, the two of them practically share their lives with each other, as they talk about their interests, their schooling, and their dreams for the future. A lull passes through their conversation and Haseul gets up to make them a quick coffee.

“You’re so good at making coffees,” Vivi stumbles through her compliment in between sipping her drink.

“You could say that. So, I’m guessing that you really didn’t get much done during my performance,” Haseul teases, subtly referring back to their earlier conversation where Vivi had admitted to sacrificing writing time in favor of watching her make coffee. The pair chuckle and Vivi notices that under this light, she can really see Jo Haseul in all her multifaceted glory. Standing before her was a woman of depth and character, who genuinely loves everything she sets her heart to, and with a passion. Vivi found herself craving to know what it felt like, being on the receiving end of that type of love. 

“Mhm. You sing too beautifully for me to focus on anything but you,” Vivi voices bravely, looking up at Haseul nervously. This is undoubtedly one of the most tender moments either girl had ever experienced, but their bubble is broken when they spot a blonde ambling towards them. 

“Jungeun…” Haseul mutters, rolling her eyes to her best friend’s mirth. 

“We do recordings of the performances, so of course, you can have them if you write a glowing review about my best friend,” Jungeun proposes, dangling her phone in front of Vivi promisingly. 

“It’ll be so hard to write something that does her voice justice. But, I’ll try,” Vivi laughs, as she gives Jungeun her number. At the blonde’s continuous pestering look, Haseul reluctantly allows her best friend to join their table, and Jungeun eagerly begins to regale Vivi with Haseul’s performance schedules in the next month.

“Jungeun also sings, you should write about her next week,” Haseul cuts in. Vivi gasps and looks at Jungeun in excitement.

“Wait, is it a requirement to be musically inclined if I want to be in your life?” Vivi jokingly asks Haseul. The barista smiles softly at Vivi’s gentle words and shakes her head. To Haseul’s relief, Jungeun excuses herself to the restroom, and the pair are able to sink back into their comfortable discussion.

“Well, it’s almost midnight… I should probably head back home,” Vivi sighs, beginning to pack her laptop back into her purse. Haseul nods reluctantly and starts to clear up their table, stealing glances at Vivi every few seconds. 

“I’ll text you when I get home! We can catch up sometime this week, and you can let me know how your exam goes,” Vivi says hopefully. Before Haseul can say anything, Vivi envelopes her in a quick, warm hug, and releases her entirely too quickly. 

“Get home safe,” Haseul chokes out, watching Vivi walk away. Despite their bodies only touching for mere seconds, Vivi’s vanilla scent lingers around Haseul’s nose for the next hour, as she attempts to busy herself with closing the store alongside Sooyoung and Jungeun. 

“Haseul, go home. You worked this morning and even came back to woo my customers. You worked hard enough,” Sooyoung says, pushing her barista out the door. Jungeun nods at Haseul from behind Sooyoung’s back, and waves at her in farewell. Haseul nods and gathers her things to head back to her apartment, which happens to be one block down. 

Mere moments after Haseul walks through her door, her phone rings with a message notification. Haseul quickly unlocks her phone and stares at her screen in elation.

**From: Vivi**

**_12:08 AM - I’m home!_ **

**_1:23 AM - I finished my article! I’ll send you the link after our first date tomorrow ;) Get home safe and have a good night Haseul <3_ **

“I have a date tomorrow!” she screams in the middle of her living room, before quickly typing out a response to Vivi. 

**To: Vivi**

**_1:25 AM - I can hardly wait for tomorrow, I hope you only said good things about me ;)_ **

**_Sleep well, Vivi <33 _ **

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> A quick Viseul coffee shop AU! I hope you all enjoyed :)


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